Escape the hustle of the city for a refreshing dose of nature. A 15-minute drive from the Sydney CBD can take you to a patch of paradise near St Ives.

Dalrymple-Hay Nature Reserve, in North Sydney, boasts one of the last remaining stands of magnificent blue gum forests within the Sydney region. This much-loved reserve is featured as part of the Ku-ring-gai Council nature walks and NPWS discovery program, making it popular for bushwalking and birdwatching.

The towering canopy and lush understorey of ferns support a staggering array of wildlife including black-faced swamp wallabies and echidnas. If visiting Dalrymple-Hay Nature Reserve at night, then keep your eyes peeled for sugar gliders, possums and owls.

Early morning is a superb time for birdwatching as the reserve comes alive with the sound of native Australian birds singing, including pardalotes, king parrots, and lorikeets.

Saving our Species is a innovative conservation program in NSW. It aims to halt and reverse the growing numbers of Australian animals and plants facing extinction. This program aims to secure as many threatened species that can be secured in the wild as possible, for the next 100 years.